Take Me to Wonderland
by AuburnFan01
Summary: Kathryn disappears to the mental ward. She bonds with another patient stuck in the same situation, and they eventually find a way to quiet the madness and pain they've found themselves in. AU after 1x17. Kathryn/Jefferson. Written before 1x17 so does not follow that plot line/timeline.
1. Take Me to Wonderland

**A/N:** I wrote this as a fill for the OUaT kink meme, as a request for a fic between Kathryn and the Mad Hatter that takes place at the mental ward in the hospital.

**Title:** Take Me to Wonderland

**Summary: **After she decides to leave Storybrooke, Kathryn "disappears" to the mental ward. She bonds with another patient stuck in the same situation, and their encounters eventually lead to sex where they quiet the madness and pain for a short while. Kathryn/Hatter meme fill

**Pairing:** Kathryn Nolan/Mad Hatter

**Rating:** M for sexual content, referenced drug use.

Reviews/Feedback are kindly appreciated!

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><p>"<em>Have you ever heard of Wonderland?"<em>

Kathryn was so startled to hear a voice at her door that she snapped up in bed. For as long as she remembered, this cold, damp cell was her home, and the only human interaction she had was with a nurse that gave her trays of mush.

Her bones and muscles ached as she slowly rose from the hard bunk and walked over to the door. A small blast of light entered the room as a latch opened to reveal a man's face, grinning madly at her like she was the most interesting person he'd ever met.

Who was this man and why was he here? Would he save her from this hellhole she had inadvertently found herself in? Or was he just another one of the minions that would further ruin her life?

Maybe, Kathryn hoped, she could get a message to him, ask him to beg Regina to save her because she wasn't an insane woman. This mental ward, this solitude, was not something she deserved.

She hadn't done anything wrong. All she had wanted was to love her husband after losing him – even if she realized that they probably never really loved each other, not in the right way or the way that either of them needed. It had been an empty, angry sort of love that was more destructive than even David's affair, if Kathryn could even fathom something more destructive than an affair. But, she had forgiven David for his indiscretions simply because she was certain he had never loved her. Yes, the way he had gone about ending her marriage wasn't right, but Kathryn couldn't help but feel that he had done the right thing.

David was finally with the right woman, a woman who wouldn't give him a destructive love that would make him miserable. Mary Margaret would give David everything Kathryn had failed at, and even though it pained her, it was something with which she had made her peace.

That was why she had left for Boston, wanting to make a new life for herself, to find a man who loved her the way David that loved Mary Margaret. Her marriage had ended and she had made the right, healthy decision to move forward with her life from a loveless, miserable marriage.

Kathryn deserved her happiness, and the moment she sought it out, it had cost her.

Now she sat in a padded cell, where her perception of time had vanished with each passing second that threatened to drag her sanity away with it.

"Wh-Who are you?" Kathryn asked slowly, her voice in a hushed whisper as she stood at the door, his face only a few inches from hers. She could even feel his breath, warm and smelling oddly like tea – or maybe that was just her imagination getting the best of her. It had threatened to overrun her senses the past few days, anyway, and she was so close to climbing the walls if she didn't have any solid human contact soon.

"Who am I?" He grinned again, and tipped the brim of his hat toward her. "My name's Hatter."

"Hatter?" Kathryn repeated with a frown. "That's…That's really your name?"

Thankfully, he took another step backward so she could actually take in his appearance, and she would have laughed by his odd clothing if things still had the ability to stun her. He wore a scraggily, brown suit with holes missing to reveal bare skin. His vest didn't match the suit, a vivid green, and he wore a polka dotted tie. But he was wearing a hat, fitting for his name, that seemed too big for his head.

Despite the mismatched clothing, the man before her had an attractive face and a sincere smile that warmed Kathryn's heart.

"What's your name?" He asked suddenly, absently, as if remembering something very important. Hatter cocked his head at her, curious when she didn't answer and only stared at him with a slightly open mouth. "What? Cat got your tongue?"

"I…My name's Kathryn."

"It's nice to meet you Kathryn," Hatter told her happily as he stuck his hand awkwardly through the slot. His hand wiggled when she at first didn't take it, and he smiled when she did and gave it a proper shake. Retracting it from the cell, he asked gently, hopeful and slightly deranged, "Kathryn, may I come in? It's horridly hot in this hallway, and well…the nurses don't like me very much."

"Why's that?"

"They think I'm madder than a hatter."

For the first time in a long time, Kathryn found herself laughing. "That…That would definitely explain the nickname, I suppose."

The man frowned slightly. "Nickname? What makes you think that's not my real name?"

"Your real name is Hatter?"

"Yes," he answered.

"That's crazy!"

Hatter lifted a finger and corrected, "No, it's mad." He laughed slightly and opened his arms wide. "Mad as a hatter."

"Do you have a real name really, Hatter?"

"Let me in and I'll tell you my real name," Hatter promised gently, his voice a soft coo, as if luring a small child to sleep. Kathryn wasn't falling for his charismatic magic, however, and he smiled when she only shook her head. "Or will it be I'll tell you my real name and you'll let me in?"

"That sounds about right."

Hatter huffed slightly before he told her in a grumble, "Jefferson. My real name is Jefferson. But you can still call me Hatter. Everyone does."

"Jefferson what?" Kathryn encouraged, curious and hoping she'd keep the conversation alive long enough for him to make the decision that speaking to her was worth his time.

If she could only keep him here, that would be less time she had to spend alone.

"Well Hatter, of course," Hatter answered with a shrug, as if it was the simplest thing he'd ever say. "Now, _Kathryn_, may I come in?"

"I…" She looked down at the locked cell door. "I don't think I can open this without…"

"Not to worry!" Hatter exclaimed, and within moments he had opened the cell door and snuck inside, shutting it behind him quickly without a squeak of noise. He grinned when she took a step back, staring at him with wide eyes. "Did I tell you I'm a man of magic?"

"N-No," Kathryn responded with a shake of her head. She instantly regretted her decision, wondering what this mad man was capable of and why she had been so naïve to allow him into her cell – not that she really could have stopped him. His piercing green eyes mesmerized her as she asked, "W-What did you w-want to t-talk about?"

"Why are you here, Kathryn?" Hatter questioned gently, his eyes locking with hers in an intense fire that lit a flame in Kathryn unlike anything she'd ever felt. The only other time she'd experienced something so wonderful was when she had found out David had resurfaced after his coma, and she oddly recognized the sensation as hope.

"I…" She scratched her head thoughtfully with a sigh, trying her best to keep the tears that threatened to spill over. This man didn't need to see her cry, not when she didn't know how he'd react at the sight of such powerful emotions. "I really don't know."

"Well, what'd you do before you came here?"

"I was on my way to Boston." She frowned slightly when he gave a snort. "What's wrong with that?"

"Boston? What's in Boston?"

"My future," Kathryn answered sadly. "A future that I won't have the chance to return to if I end up spending my entire life in this cell."

Hatter hummed softly before he asked, his hand waving through the air, "And…what future is that?"

"I wanted to go to law school," Kathryn admitted. It had taken her days to admit that to David, her husband, and here she was admitting such an intimate detail about her life to a potentially deranged stranger. What had come over her? Was she really going insane? Kathryn wasn't even sure if she could question the blessing of this man's sudden arrival, because the way he asked her his questions, she knew he genuinely cared about her.

Hatter listened to what she was telling him, hanging onto every word with keen interest that she had never seen in David's eyes. She had thought for a moment that she might have lost him in his own silent musings, but he suddenly asked her, "Why'd you want to become a lawyer, Kathryn?"

"Well, I…" She laughed uncomfortably. "I don't really know. I suppose I want to help people."

"That's very noble."

"Well, yes, I suppose—"

"I hate lawyers," he told her suddenly, blunt with a slight shrug that caught her off guard. His glaring honesty was a huge change than the lies she'd been told by her husband, a man who she realized she hadn't even properly divorced before leaving town. "They make me…" Hatter shivered suddenly, the quake vibrating from his top hat to his shoes, "…uncomfortable and nervous…and just upset."

"Well you might want to hightail it out of here then." Kathryn instantly regretted her choice of words, realizing that she probably just pushed away the only visitor she'd ever see. "I…I didn't mean that the way it came out."

"Or did it come out the way you didn't mean it?"

She frowned slightly and shook her head, flustered. She wouldn't tell him how strange he was, not wanting to offend him and push him away.

Was this what her life was brought to? Begging for the company of a man she didn't know but needed so desperately to stay so she wasn't alone? Jefferson felt oddly like an old friend, what with the way he intently stared and sweetly smiled at her. "Wh…Why are you here, Jefferson?"

"I'm mad."

She laughed again. "You say it like it's that easy!"

He shrugged. "It is. I'm simply a mad man who is paying the debt for a deal I don't remember making…which could have been because of the mercury, but I'll suppose I'll never know."

"Mercury?"

He pointed to his tattered top hat. "The hat. It's brimmed with mercury and drives me mad."

"So then why don't you take it off?"

Hatter gave her a puzzled look before gently brushing his fingers across the brim. Finally, he answered quietly, "It keeps me safe. There's safeness in insanity, I've found. Normalcy, it…There's no safeness there."

"Tell me about it," Kathryn commented with a gentle scoff and shake of her head as she stared down at the same clothes she had worn for days. At night she had stripped the material off her skin, but that hadn't wiped away the disgusting feeling. She'd wake up in the middle of the night, the feel of clothes against her skin, and still found no remedy for the itch it left, an itch she couldn't scratch though it mocked her.

Silence filled the room momentarily before Kathryn uneasily questioned, "Will this place always be so horrible?"

"It is," Hatter agreed sadly. "Until you find something that makes it not so horrible."

Kathryn arched a curious eyebrow at him, at the way his lips curved in a slight smirk that lit the flame in her once again. She didn't want the spark to die, not with the way his eyes lit up suddenly, like such a wonderful idea floated through his mind that he'd lose if he didn't think of it constantly. "Are…Are you talking a-about me?"

Hatter shrugged before giving her an insane smile that made a warm smile spread across her own face for the first time.

"We don't even know each other, you know."

"No, we don't," Hatter agreed rather absentmindedly, like he was in some other world besides the current cruel place in which he lived. "But isn't that what makes it so wonderful? We don't know each other, but we are so similar."

"How?"

"We're both locked up for reasons we don't understand, for things we cannot describe, change, or fix. And we were all alone…until now."

"Until now?" When he simply nodded, Kathryn gave an uncomfortable chuckle. "So, so we're all each other has really then? Just a madman and a hopeless dreamer?"

"Or a hopeless dreamer and a madman."

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"Or two entirely different things," Hatter responded, holding a finger to emphasize his point. "Anything can happen in Wonderland, you must never forget that Kathryn."

Her mouth fell open slightly. "Wonderland? Like _Alice in Wonderland_, Wonderland?"

His eyes lit up and she could have sworn his ears perked up, too. "Do you know Alice?"

"No," Kathryn answered, surprised by this turn of conversation, that this man actually considered himself a character in a storybook. "No, I'm afraid I don't."

"Oh." His face fell. "Well…You'd like her if you met her."

Kathryn didn't think she'd like this man after meeting him, but his nervous craziness and odd musings confounded all rational thought. She actually liked him, found his words and smiles interesting if not alluring. Kathryn liked that they found themselves in the same predicament, trapped in this mental asylum without anyone but each other.

When it became glaringly obvious to Kathryn that the conversation was coming to an end, and soon he'd leave her again for his own crazy adventures, she asked him quickly, "What's Wonderland like?"

"W-Would you like me to show you?"

"You can show me?"

"I can," Hatter replied as he slipped off his top hat, holding it in his hands. Immediately, she could see the glaze in his eyes disappeared to reveal a clearness that leveled her. Had that hat really made this man mad? And why had the doctors allowed him to wear the hat if it drove him insane? With a sweet smile, he offered the hat to her. "You can wear it."

Kathryn took an apprehensive step back, alarmed when he took a step forward to bridge the distance she had created. "W-Wear it?"

"Yes," Hatter answered, extending the hat to her again. "Wear it."

"Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"If you want to see Wonderland," Hatter told her honestly, "the way I see it. You have to wear the hat. There's no other way."

"But won't-won't it drive me insane?"

Hatter grinned. "Aren't you already crazy to be thrown in here?"

"No."

He frowned slightly before commenting bluntly, "Well you will be once your stay here is done, I promise you."

Kathryn's hands betrayed her as she found no holes in his logic and seized the hat from his grasp, carefully slipping it on her head. Though she felt odd, the hat glaringly hideous, the moment subsided to leave only a contented bliss that travelled all the way down to her toes. Her mind was suddenly fogged with visions of long, vine trees and elegant colors that threatened to make her head spin. She could even swear this felt oddly like heaven if she had ever reached bliss anywhere near the one she experienced.

A groan of longing escaped her when Hatter quickly pulled the hat away to let the dust of her fog settle and finally dissipate until she blinked clearly. Kathryn was certain the daze in her eyes was gone like his, and she wanted it back.

She wanted to feel that high again, and would have whined if it wasn't so unbecoming and didn't make her feel like a child. Half expecting Hatter to put the hat back on his head, she frowned slightly when he simply toyed with it in his hands, twirling it around his fingers until he threw it on the cot. Unable to take her gaze off the hat, she asked gently, "Can-Can I have that back if you aren't going to use it?"

He laughed slightly. "Miss it already?"

"Yes," she answered hoarsely. "It…It was nice."

"Want to use it to escape your misery?"

"Yes."

"Do you know of anything that works better than that hat?" When she shook her head, Hatter grinned. "I do."

Kathryn absentmindedly looked at him, her eyes going wide when she realized he had bridged the distance between them completely, his mouth merely a few inches away from her, his body so close their skin would have touched if not for the clothes they wore. She was surprised when panic didn't fill her, and realized she was apprehensive of Hatter, but unafraid. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"I know of something that can take your mind off of your situation," he answered softly, bringing his fingertips up to gently caress the firm outline of her jaw. His touch was feather-light as he traced a path until he met her chin, tilting it up so they were even closer. Now the only distance was the slight brush of lips, but he resisted. "And I know you need it as much as I do."

"Don't you mean I need it as much as you do?"

Hatter smiled weakly at her mock. "I can take you back to Wonderland, Katie."

"No one's ever called me that before," Kathryn breathed out, wondering how his restraint was so strong when he had sounded so insane and confusing only a few moments before. "Not unless they're someone I'm close to."

"I suppose I understand you better than we both thought," Hatter returned before getting to the matter at hand. "Do you want to go back to Wonderland?"

"It won't be the Wonderland that your hat creates, will it?"

"No," he answered bluntly with a shake of his head. "It will be better, I'm sure. Do…Do you remember what it feels like to be with someone who really wants you? Passionately, deeply, and completely?"

"Not really," Kathryn answered honestly. The thought was so tempting, sounded so amazingly wonderful to feel the heat of his body against hers, that she couldn't resist as she pleaded, "Please take me back. It felt so amazing, so wonderfully—"

He cut her off with a gentle, tender kiss that, right as he promised, made her toes curl.

She couldn't remember the last time anyone had kissed her so amorously; David had never kissed her like this, not even in their most heated embraces, because he'd never really been there. His heart didn't belong to her. But Hatter, he was richly present as his lips trailed kisses on her jawline before capturing her mouth again, crushing her mouth against his with an ardent passion that stole her ability to breathe.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders when Hatter grabbed her waist powerfully, pulling her against him. When his tongue pressed for access into her mouth, she granted it immediately, wondering vaguely to herself how a man so cut off from society could kiss so wonderfully.

A skilled man in magic as well as seduction, Kathryn didn't want this blissful moment to end, but moaned softly in longing when he pulled away from her with a grin. Eyes fluttering open, she commented softly, when he brought his hand to her face, "You're sexy."

He laughed, caressing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "How long has it been since you've felt like this?"

"Far too long," she whispered in response, letting her head fall back with a heavy sigh when he buried his hand in his hair. "God, this is so, _so_ wrong."

Hatter hummed softly as he pulled her in for another passionate kiss. Her desire matched his perfectly, tongues dueling for supremacy in an ardent exploration that made Kathryn's knees buckle. His hands tangled in the strands of her blonde hair, keeping her mouth firm against his, smiling against her when she moaned gently.

She exhaled heavily when he began to kiss her neck with open, wet kisses that affected her so strongly she gripped his arms in an attempt to steady herself. "Hatter, look at me."

He pulled away from her neck with a quick, playful nip, smiling when her breath hitched in surprise. He met her eyes, the ocean blue matching his bright green with a fire he'd be unable to put out. "Yes, Kathryn?"

She tugged impatiently at his jacket. "Take this off, please."

While he did as she requested, slowly in an attempt to torture her, Kathryn tried to even out her breathing but found that impossible when he didn't stop at his jacket, carefully removing his green vest and throwing that to the floor. Now he only stood there, wearing a brown dress shirt and trousers that she so badly wanted to rip off his body.

She swallowed hard, her arousal growing simply at the thought that it wouldn't be long before she could feel his skin against hers. "What next?"

"You call the shots here," he reminded her. "This is your adventure to Wonderland."

She smiled before slowly trailing her ups up his torso, feeling his muscles contract to her touch, until they rested on his chest. His entire body went rigid in anticipation at the sensation. Her grin widened as she began to unbutton his dress shirt, stopping halfway through and murmuring to herself, "Oh, screw it."

Hatter raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't have time to question her curse when she grabbed hold of the fine fabric, ripping his shirt open, sending buttons flying to the floor with a gentle ping. Hatter grinned madly at her, shaking his head in amusement when she ran her fingers down his bare chest and toned torso, settling finally at his belt.

"Kiss me," she ordered, her voice filed with a passion he couldn't resist as he cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her fiercely. Her knees threatened to buckle again when he let out his first show of desire in a gentle moan. "This is insane, Hatter. Someone could walk in."

"Then we'll have to put on a show," Hatter answered simply in reply as he tugged at the hem of her shirt, lifting it up her body until she helped him remove the fabric. Another groan escaped him at the sight of her breasts. Within seconds he had removed her bra as well, and tucked his head to place soft, sweet kisses on her warm flesh.

Kathryn tilted her back with a gasp when he took her nipple in his mouth, sucking gently until she buried her fingers in his short hair, arching into him. Before she gave him the opportunity to trail kisses across her abdomen, she pulled him to her mouth and kissed him suddenly. His shirt was gone within seconds, and she threw her arms around his neck.

After a quick kiss, Kathryn pulled away and asked, "Let's do this in the bed."

Hatter grabbed her waist, curving his hands down her thighs so he could pick her up, coaxing her to wrap her legs around his waist. Certain she was secure, he tilted his head to meet her fiery kiss and carried her over to the cot. Falling onto the bed with her, he propped himself up on his hands so he didn't crush her.

Her face was flushed as she breathed heavily, gently stroking the back of his neck with her fingertips. When she tried to pull his head down to her for a kiss, she smiled faintly as his head turned, instead placing gentle nips on her neck. Exhaling softly from the pleasure of his mouth against her neck and hands on her body, Kathryn intertwined her fingers in his hair, digging her fingers into his scalp when his teeth scraped against her skin roughly.

She hadn't expected this – nor did she expect how much she enjoyed the roughness of his actions, the way his hands would leave marks on her skin. Kathryn arched into him with a soft moan when he placed tentative kisses against her collarbone before kissing down to her abdomen, stopping when her his mouth met her jeans. "C-Can I take these off?"

Was that uncertainty she heard in his voice, when he was the one who held the most certainty despite his obvious oddness? Gazing down, she met his curious eyes and nodded, unable to remember how long it had been since a man she was with actually _wanted_ this. Kathryn had to plead with David for intimacy, but with this stranger, it came so naturally that the butterflies tightened in her stomach so strongly that for a moment she couldn't breathe.

Hatter didn't wait for an answer, and within seconds had her jeans joining the pile of clothes on the floor. He grinned, laughing when she arched up into his touch as he lazily traced his finger across the front of her panties until he gripped her thighs to spread her legs apart.

Kathryn wasn't even aware what was happening until she felt his mouth explore her curiously, intimately, and within only a few minutes she found herself unable to control the quick, jarred buck of her hips against the amazing magic of his mouth and tongue.

Her shuddering sighs transformed into deep, low moans as she felt the tension build until, with a hard flick of his tongue on her clit, she came off the bed with a silent scream, one hand pulling gently at his hair, the other fisting the flimsy sheet beneath her.

Her high lasted for a few moments as she tried to regain her breathing, her chest heaving as she laughed in exhilaration.

His groan of protest didn't bother Kathryn as she yanked him up toward her, capturing his mouth once again, smiling when he moaned against her. Separating for air, she asked in a whisper, "Why are there holes in your suit pants?"

"Why have you worn the same clothes for longer than normal?" He grinned when she frowned lightheartedly at him, tucking his head to playfully bite her neck with a soft whimper of desire.

Her hands went to his belt the moment he bucked against her hips. The garment was removed quickly, thrown to the floor as Kathryn focused her attention to undoing his pants.

Before he could push the fabric down, Kathryn stopped him with set eyes by grabbing his hands and keeping them steady. When he tilted his head at her curiously, asking her what the problem was, she could only muster, "Under the covers."

Hatter raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Under the covers," Kathryn repeated, her voice shaky, faltering slightly at his quizzical stare. "Please."

"But w-why?"

"If someone comes in," Kathryn answered softly, her gaze drifting toward the cell door, "I just…that would be embarrassing."

"But that's half the fun."

Kathryn only shook her head slowly. "No." She shook her head again, this time more determined, when he frowned slightly. "No, _Jefferson_."

He laughed as he rose from the bed, removing his pants and boxers as she quickly slid under the flimsy sheet, and he shook his head, choosing not to mumble under his breath that the sheet wasn't much for a barrier from the outside world. But he wasn't a crazy man like the doctors claimed, and he knew better than to ruffle the feathers of the only woman he'd ever touch for a long time.

The feel of his body against hers sent a thrill of anticipation threw Kathryn so strong that she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him aggressively, sighing when he rocked his hips against her encouragingly. When he pulled away from her kiss, prompting not a moan of arousal but one of longing, Kathryn gazed up at green eyes that she saw had blanketed in a haze. "Are we going to do this?"

She had her answer when he pushed inside her, and she let out a gasp so sharp that she dug her nails into his back, not caring if she drew blood with his sudden, powerful thrust. Her grasp didn't change when he stilled, not moving to give her time to adjust to the sensation she hadn't felt for such a long time.

Hatter kissed her gently, running his fingers across her flushed cheek. "Are you all right?"

Kathryn nodded, her eyes pinned shut as she reveled in the sensation. "Yes," she finally hissed when he pulled back to thrust again, "oh, _yes_."

He laughed gently, kissing her once more before driving until he had established a magnificent rhythm, the buck of his hips perfectly in sync with hers until all he could hear was her soft whimpers and deep groans in his ear, begging for more, pleading for this wonderful feeling to never end.

He could never refuse her.

Kathryn was certain he had taken her to her own personal Wonderland when his pace quickened, bringing her legs around his waist so he could sink deeper, forcing a gasp from her as the bliss suddenly became more than she could handle.

Not even the moment her years without sex had ended with David had felt this amazing.

The way this crazy man made her feel, the way his movements elicited sounds from her she hadn't known could exist, the way he felt so perfect against and inside her, took her breath away.

Kathryn didn't even care that it didn't take him long to drive her to the edge, a sharp cry echoing on the walls of the jail cell when her climax hit in such a profound way that she clutched his back until the quake of her body seized.

For a few moments, Kathryn couldn't feel anything except the way his thrusts turned jarred and frantic until, finally, he cried out and shook against her, clutching her hips with such power that she could already feel bruises form.

She locked her gaze on his perfectly deep, green eyes, feeling for the first time that she could truly see him as who he was, not a mad man, but a man that wanted love as much as she.

She didn't care about the marks he left on her skin, as it stood as a reminder of the peak he had just brought her toward, that they had more in common now than she originally anticipated…that they had each other.

Kathryn knew she had this crazy man in her life, who felt more real to her than David ever had, when he kissed her sweetly. Her haze hadn't faded until she realized that he had dressed and leaned down to kiss her once more. Kathryn didn't let him leave her as quickly as he wanted, holding his head so she could kiss him like she'd never kiss anyone again.

Hatter chuckled gently as he pulled away, and flipped his hat on his head. "Until next time," he whispered in a promise.

She smiled to see his eyes glaze over again, but one different than the one she'd help bring him toward, a Wonderland so much different, so much better, than the one in which he now lived.

"Until next time, Hatter," Kathryn promised in a whisper as soon as the cell door closed and he had left.

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><p><strong>AN:** I've decided this will not be a one-shot, but will last four chapters detailing the development of Hatter/Kathryn's "relationship." Thank you to everyone who favorites and reviews!


	2. The Truth Will Set You Free

**Summary: **When Kathryn finally sees Hatter after a long absence, she is stunned to discover that the entire town has accused Mary Margaret of her own murder, and begs for him to help her escape to prove Mary Margaret's innocence. Even though he fails to help her, Hatter finds another way to calm her down and wait for the future.

**Rating:** M for sexual situations

**A/N:** That Mad Hatter episode was AMAZING! Despite this not following the plot of the show, I'm going to continue it and I most likely won't follow the plot so this story is now AU.

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><p>Kathryn hadn't realized it was days since she last saw Hatter - Jefferson<em>, <em>_Jefferson_, she reminded herself quickly, as it was insanity to call her new lover such a strange name. But his absence hit her instantaneously when she was allowed out of her cell one day to walk the bleak, grey hallways that felt oddly worse than a jail cell. The guard had walked with her past a cell, and she could hear a whistling.

She knew it was Hatter by the way the maniacal laugh brought her an intense comfort. Hatter was still here, and if he was still here, they could still travel to Wonderland - and she wasn't alone just a little bit longer.

The way she stopped in front of the cell emitting the only noise heard in this dungeon besides their footsteps must have stunned the guard because he continued to walk before stopping and turning to face her with a frown. "What are you doing?"

"I..." She pointed to the cell door. "Can I see him?"

"No," the guard answered bluntly. "Of course not. Now let's go. You have one more lap until you head back to your cell."

By now the noise had stopped, and Kathryn could swear her heart beat faster at the thought that Hatter might have stopped his ramblings to hear the sound of her voice, because he missed her as much as she did him. "I...I can't see him?"

"Patient interaction is not allowed for your own safety," the guard answered dryly before he grabbed Kathryn's arm and pulled her forward. "Now walk!"

Kathryn held back her snicker, finding it ironic that the guards and nurses had no idea how much patient interaction they had really engaged in, and how Kathryn had never felt unsafe with Hatter. If anything, she could swear she felt the ground under her feet was back again by the simple thrill his name gave her.

It gave her such a thrill, in fact, that when Kathryn returned to her cell minutes later, her heart somehow skipped a beat when Hatter opened the door and slipped inside. Immediately, Kathryn rose from the coat and moved to kiss him, an action that was habitual after her marriage with David. As soon as she stood and was able to take him in the sight of him, Kathryn stopped when she realized he didn't have his normal, attractively insane smile.

Hatter smiled weakly when her hands cupped his cheeks and grabbed her wrists tenderly. "Kathryn."

The way he softly said her name forced her to recoil, frowning. "Hatter?"

"We need to talk."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Look, we've only had sex once. I don't think we need to have the 'we need to talk' talk. Whatever it is, I'm sure it isn't that important."

Hatter shook his head and smiled. "Please sit."

"Tea time?"

"I don't appreciate the quip," Hatter responded bluntly. "Now please, Kathryn, sit. We do really need to talk."

She did as he requested, but wondered briefly if she'd have his crazy bizarreness back. This calm, serious demeanor was something she'd associate with her husband when he wasn't busy lying to her. Kathryn realized with a laugh that she was finding pleasure in exactly what she had berated David and Mary Margaret for, having an affair with someone she'd just met. Still, she gave this man her complete attention as he sat down on the cot beside her with a heavy sigh.

Finally, he met her gaze. "I made it to the outside world."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry?"

"The outside world," he repeated with a slight nod. "I made it to this place you all call Storybrooke. I...I escaped."

"And you came back?"

Hatter chuckled gently and looked down at his hands that twisted together. Meeting her gaze again, he whispered for the first honest time, "I couldn't leave you here in this horrible place."

"Can-Can you save me from this place?" Hope brimmed in her voice unlike anything she'd ever felt before, and she didn't want to even consider the alternative, and that he wouldn't save her. He had to, because even though this was a mad man, Kathryn was certain he wouldn't leave her behind in this place...He'd be the knight in shining armor that David never was.

"I can take you to a better place," Hatter answered with a grin. "Wonderland?"

"No, no, Hatter, I don't want to go to Wonderland," Kathryn rushed out as she grabbed his hands, hoping that would summon his attention to her, that hopefully her actions would make him realize how desperately she needed to escape this horrible cell she longed to forget. "I...I want to get out of here! I need to get back to my life!"

"I can't take you there," Hatter told her gently. "It's...It's too dangerous. But...But I can tell you about what I saw out there, if you want."

Kathryn sighed. "You can't help me escape like you did?"

"Not for a while," he answered sadly. "It's risky enough for me to come see you now. After the guards discovered my escape...I'm surprised they don't have someone watching my cell twenty-four seven. I would, if I were them."

"You sound awfully sane today, Hatter," Kathryn commented gently, intertwining her hand with his to gently stroke his fingertips, calloused from work.

Hatter pointed to his hatless head with a free hand, making Kathryn wish suddenly that she could run her fingers through his hair just one more time. "No hat on my head, no madness. They haven't allowed me to return to Wonderland after my escape. My punishment, I suppose."

"Sounds so horrible."

Hatter only shrugged, and looked down at his hands again. "I've endured worse."

Before Kathryn could question his response, what possibly could be worse than his dreams ripped away from him, she found herself asking, "What happened out there in the real world, Hatter? Has...Has a lot changed? Do people know I'm gone?"

"Oh yes," he answered with a nod. "People know you're gone."

"So..." Hope filled her voice again. "So they're trying to find me?"

"Well, what they assume is left of you anyway," Hatter answering, sighing softly when she frowned in confusion. Unsure how to tell her the truth without hurting her, Hatter rubbed his chin thoughtfully before telling her bluntly, "They think you're dead, Kathryn."

"_Dead_?"

"Yes," he told her. "Murdered, actually."

Hatter didn't need to look at her much longer to know that she was crying, to know that he didn't like the sight of her tears and wasn't sure how to help her. In all his life, he'd never had to deal with a crying woman, unless his daughter was injured - but that was an easy fix. Intuition told Hatter this situation might not be that easy of a fix, especially with the way Kathryn rigidly turned away from him, hunched over, and covered her mouth with her hand.

Hatter didn't touch her - because he wasn't sure if anything he offered was a consolation - but softly told her, "There's more."

Her head twisted to look at him. "_More_?"

"They're accusing Mary Margaret of your murder," he answered, surprised when her body completely twisted around to grab the front of his shirt, like she was about to violently shake him. Grounding himself into the bed, Hatter grabbed her wrists slightly if he needed to pry her away. He frowned when she jostled him slightly. "I know this is bad-"

"Bad?" She shook him again. "This is horrible! Mary Margaret would never have it in her to...to kill someone! And she didn't kill me! I'm here and alive and it's some horrible person that's keeping me here! You..." Her eyes opened wide as she realized a way that they could make this all okay, that she could prove Mary Margaret's innocence and head back to Boston again, maybe dragging the Hatter with her if he could escape from this dungeon. "You could help me escape! You have to help me escape!"

Hatter only shook his head. "I told you, not now Kathryn. It's too dangerous. If they know that we're going to try an escape, they won't ever leave us alone again, and not just by keeping us apart. We'd never have a shot if we tried too quickly."

Her fists tightened into balls against his shirt as she asked, "If you had that hat on, you'd be suggesting we try now, wouldn't you?"

"Probably."

"You want to put it on?"

"No," he answered with a smile at her attempt to trick him. That was his job. "Even though I feel safer with it on, and even though it brings me these wonderful feelings..." Hatter trailed off with a smile, not wanting to divulge to her that he felt safer in her presence, that being with her brought him wonderful feelings that a poisoned hat never could. He could have never before imagined that his insane, colorful world didn't compare to that joy which human contact brought him.

Kathryn sighed heavily and shook her head when he didn't continue. "So what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and let everyone think I'm dead and that a completely innocent woman did it? I can't...I'm not sure I can deal with that!"

"I-I'm sorry Kathryn, I wish I knew. I just...I thought you should know, considering that it's your life and all."

She met his gaze somberly and asked quietly, "What were you doing out there anyway? And why...Why did you come back?"

Hatter shrugged. "Couldn't leave you here in this hellhole by yourself, could I?"

"You didn't answer my original question. What were you doing out there?"

"That's unimportant."

"Really?" Kathryn raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him.

"It is not important," Hatter repeated sternly with a shake of his head. It was bad enough the world thought him insane, but a criminal? Kathryn didn't need to know that he had kidnapped the sheriff _and_ Mary Margaret in an attempt to make them realize the truth - not just about this other world that he so strongly believed existed but also about Kathryn, that she was indeed alive and needed saving only the police could bring.

Hatter didn't want to get her hopes up that the cavalry would charge in any more than he wanted to admit to her what he had done. Some things, he decided, were just better kept a secret if they caused this woman more pain.

"Hatter," she attempted to coax, "please?"

"No," he responded with a quick shake of his head. Hatter pulled away when she leaned toward him, her method of persuasion one he knew he wouldn't be able to deny for very long. He turned his head when she leaned toward him again, completely rebuffing her advances and decidedly ignoring her huff as she sat back against the cot.

Finally, he turned to her defeated face with a grin. Raising a finger, he pointed it to the sides of her eyes, "Pouting is very unbecoming, Kathryn. Time has a funny way of making wrinkles if you let it."

She didn't smile. "Is it too hard to answer a simple question, Hatter?"

"Is it so hard to accept something you will never understand?"

"Hatter, I-"

"This is no different," he cut off firmly with a shake of his head. "You accept things like love and hate, even though you don't truly understand what they do to you or how they got there or why you even feel them. But you accept those readily, don't you? This is no different. This is simply just another thing that happened that you'll never fully understand."

"I don't like that answer."

"And I hate being stuck in this mental ward for the rest of my life, but I'm just going to have to live with that, won't I?" He smiled when she rolled her eyes. "I think you can live with not having one of your questions answered, Kathryn."

"You're the one that brought up going to the outside world, not me."

Hatter snorted gently. "Yeah, so you could know the truth."

Kathryn looked down at her hands, suddenly saddened and not at all irritated with Hatter's tease of information. With a soft sigh, she murmured, "Maybe it's better not to know the truth sometimes."

"Maybe, but now you won't wonder if people think about you or miss you."

"No," she agreed, "but now I have to live with the knowledge that an innocent woman is going to have her life ruined because of me, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. There's no way I can help her, no way I can prove her innocence." Pausing, she looked up at his concerned eyes with hopeful eyes of her own. "But I guess there is a way if we fought for it."

Tenderly, he reached out to cup her cheek in his hand and smiled weakly when she leaned into his touch, her body sighing at the warm contact. "That is an option, Kathryn, just not right now. Not when it's too dangerous."

Kathryn closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears that brimmed. "Did they catch you?"

"No, but they know I wasn't in my cell," Hatter answered with a shake of his head. "And if I'm not careful, I might never be able to leave my cell again." And if he couldn't leave his cell, that would mean he couldn't see her, and that would surely drive him more insane than the power which any top hat had.

"So...So we'll wait until the time is right and you'll help me get out of here?"

"Yes," he agreed with a nod. "When the time is right, I'll see to it that you make it out okay."

"Thank you," she whispered, the sincerity in her voice forcing it to soften as hope filled her and, for once, didn't leave. She returned his gentle grin and leaned forward to kiss him softly, his lips hesitant against hers only for a moment before he melted into her embrace.

What Kathryn had intended as a quick, tender kiss quickly transformed into one whose passion she was unable to control. Their mouths met in a frenzied fervor, making up for lost time in his absence; Kathryn couldn't dream of anything better than the way he took control of the kiss. If she wasn't sitting, she was certain her knees would have buckled when he intensified the kiss to explore her mouth intimately with his tongue.

How he rendered her completely powerless with a simple touch was something Kathryn would never understand, but a sensation she'd never question.

Pulling away from her to breathe, Hatter smiled when she protested with a soft whimper. "Missed you, too." With an insane smirk, he kissed her cheek and said, "Okay, I'll see you around."

Through her surprise, Kathryn was capable of grabbing the fabric of his shirt and keeping him against the bed. His playful eyes were met with an open mouth as she asked, "T-That's it? You're just going to leave?"

"Well, yeah, I have nothing else to do. No more business here." Hatter raised a finger. "And if there's one thing that I do not do, it's waste time. Time has a way of wasting itself."

"So you're just going to leave me hanging?"

"Yes."

"That's very rude," she commented with a shake of her head.

Hatter outstretched his arms with a shrug. "I can be very rude to people with blonde hair who ask too many questions, it seems." He smiled when her noise crinkled. "But you're much better company than Alice. I actually don't mind half of your questions."

"Oh? And the other half?"

"Drive me a little mad," Hatter answered, smiling when she shook her head and looked down at her hands. Kathryn no longer looked saddened at the fate of the outside world, but amused by his nonsensical words. "Do I drive you mad sometimes, Kathryn?"

"No," Kathryn whispered in response. "You actually keep me saner than I've ever been."

Hatter smiled. "I'd say I'd felt the same, but I'm not entirely sure what's reality and what's fantasy anymore."

She met his eyes with sincerity and curiosity. "Well what are you sure of?"

"That I don't want you to ever have to stay in this place by yourself again," Hatter replied. "And the outside world is crazier than the one in here."

Kathryn laughed, the sound pleasant but foreign to her ears. She remembered David, and their miserable marriage, and then thought of Jefferson Hatter, a crazy man who didn't make her miserable but awoke sensations in her she had thought disappeared as soon as she and David married years ago.

The world was so simple in here, too, compared to the drama and conflict she faced in Storybrooke - but she'd never live here forever, as it would render her insane like Hatter.

Finally, she agreed, "I can understand that."

When Kathryn looked back up at him, she was stunned to see his eyes soften, a sadness in them she'd never seen before, like it hurt him to see her rendered to his fate. Before Kathryn could find a definite answer to the hollowness that almost broke her heart, she was stunned to feel his lips meet her again, this time more tender than any kiss they'd ever shared.

His lips were soft, encouraging but not overpowering, and she couldn't help but wonder if the flutter in her chest was one of anticipation or something deeper, something she had never truly felt for David but a powerful emotion this man evoked with only his presence.

Kathryn became impatient when his pace didn't change as they lazily kissed, and realized she couldn't take any more of this anticipation by the way her body almost shuddered at the thought of making love to him once more.

His kisses weren't enough; she wanted more.

Determined for him not to reject her again, Kathryn broke their kiss to gently ghost kisses across his jawline until she found his earlobe, nipping softly until she felt Hatter's hands tangle in her hair to keep her where she was. His grasp was gentle, but just powerful enough for Kathryn to know he enjoyed the attention that she hadn't given him last time.

Kathryn knew he appreciated the attention by the way she heard his breath involuntarily hitch. She smiled as she tenderly kissed his neck, right above where there was an elongated, jagged scar that stretched his entire neck. It puzzled her slightly, but she didn't question it.

What began to bother Kathryn, however, was the way he tensed and fought the desire to pull away when her lips got close to the scar like it brought him an intense pain he couldn't shake.

She finally had enough of the wondering, of how she worried he'd reject her if she pushed his limits. Pulling away, Kathryn brought her hands to his cheeks and forced him to look at her, at sad, angry eyes that leveled her. Gently, she traced her fingertips across the scar, startled when he quickly grabbed her wrist and met her confused eyes with stern ones.

"_Don't_."

"But-"

"Don't," Hatter repeated firmly with a shake of his head. "Do not _ever_ ask about that Kathryn. Ever. There are some things you just don't want to know. Things that I just...I just can't ever talk about."

"Jefferson-"

"No," he told her quickly, not releasing his firm grip around her wrists even as she tried to break free. "We can talk about anything but that, Kathryn. Just not that."

"Okay," she finally conceded softly.

Hatter released her wrists immediately, sighing softly when her hands went to his cheeks again. Refusing to meet her gaze, he looked down at his hands before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Kathryn. I just..." He sighed heavily. "That's the part of Wonderland that was a nightmare."

"I'm sorry, Hatter."

"Me too," he whispered in response, finally choosing to meet her gaze.

As much as she loved the hat, this man that sat before her was someone Kathryn found herself most comfortable with. His eyes reflected an honestness that she'd never seen before, in any man.

He looked sad, too, and that broke her heart.

He suddenly wasn't just an insane lover who made her smile, but one that could feel like any other human out there, one that wasn't untouchable from human emotions and one who felt just as strongly as she. To think that someone had hurt him this deeply brought her pain, and Kathryn wanted nothing more than to find a way to help him end his misery.

Even for just a few moments.

With that in mind, Kathryn kissed him with more passion than she thought she was capable of. The heat of the moment ran away from the both of them, it seemed, as they both attempted to drown their pain with frenzied fervor so strongly that within seconds they began to remove any piece of clothing they could grab.

Kathryn wasn't even aware they were naked until she straddled him, moaning when he held her powerfully and kissed every inch of bare skin he could reach. When he found the swell of her breast, Kathryn arched into him with a content sigh.

"Don't stop," she finally hissed, burying her fingers in his hair to keep his mouth where it brought her pleasure.

He didn't stop, not until both their desires were sated and they lay together, silently besides their heavy breaths, on the small cot.

Kathryn had never guessed Hatter as a man who liked to cuddle, but she didn't mind the way he tenderly brushed his fingertips across her shoulder, tucking his head to gently kiss the spot his fingers had just left. She laughed gently, trying to muffle her snicker with the pillow, but to no avail.

Jefferson frowned and, stressing every word, asked, "What is so funny?"

"Nothing."

"Kathryn," he warned with a slight shake of his head. "If it were any other situation and I was afraid that I'm not the only man you've been with recently, I'd be offended and a little worried."

"Sometimes I think I like you better with the hat on, Hatter," she told him with a smile.

"I'm starting to like not wearing the hat at all," Hatter replied with a wide grin, kissing her shoulder tenderly again. He didn't need to see her to know that she smiled at his comment that she was better than the Wonderland his mind had created and fought hard to keep. Resting his face against her neck, he whispered, "Please tell me, Kathryn."

She sighed. "I'm just surprised is all."

"By what?"

"How gentle you're being after...well, after how rough we were." Kathryn yelped when he playfully bit her neck. She dug her nails into his shoulders in a painful response, gritting her teeth as she warned, "Don't make me take back what I said."

He chuckled gently. "Wouldn't dream of it. That's just madness."

Gently intertwining her fingers into his already mussed hair, Kathryn let a contented sigh escape as she rested her forehead against his, a symbol of unity and connectedness that she desperately needed. "Hatter?"

"Yes?"

"Will you promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Promise me the next time you leave, you'll take me with you," she murmured softly, not a question but a simple command.

She knew Hatter agreed with her statement when he pulled her closer, kissing her softly. Kathryn had unshakable faith in him, and knew that his promise made was a promise sealed. "Thank you, Hatter."

"No," he whispered honestly, "thank you."


	3. Water's Magical Properties

**Summary: **Jefferson visits Kathryn after a long absence and quickly makes up for lost time.

**Rating:** M for sexual situations

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it.

**A/N:** I, for one, loved the finale and CANNOT wait to see what happens in Season Two. It's going to be amazingly intense. I think it's safe to say that this fanfiction is decidedly AU and does not entirely follow the character of Jefferson/Mad Hatter but I'll continue with it anyway because I want to see it to the end.

Reviews are wonderful!

* * *

><p>"Can I speak with you, Kathryn?"<p>

The whisper through the celled door forced Kathryn from her cot. She crept slowly across the cell, afraid that her movements would alert Jefferson even though he probably was keenly aware of her actions, of her innermost thoughts that she could no longer shield from him. "Jefferson?" She whispered back, almost afraid to breathe in this place. When she didn't receive an answer, she whispered his name again.

"Oh?" He gave a short laugh, almost a snort. "It's Jefferson now? Not Hatter?"

"I thought we moved past informality, especially given our recent trysts." Kathryn hadn't seen him since the last time he'd visited her, and had almost feared for a moment that he'd lost his life or worse, been given medication that forced him to forget about her, or even worse than that, decided that she wasn't worth his time. Just the thought made her stomach clench, a pain she fought through quickly as she asked nervously, "Well, aren't you going to come in?"

"That was my purpose for coming down here, Kathryn." He paused and then added quickly, "And I cannot enter when you're leaning against the door, now can I?"

Kathryn let him in immediately. When he stepped inside, her eyebrows rose at his more than casual attire - black pants, a nice black dress shirt, and a black vest that she was tempted to remove if only it didn't suit him so well. "Well, you clean up nice."

Jefferson smiled gently and inspected her ratted clothing. "They still haven't given you a proper change of clothes?"

"There's a hospital gown-" she pointed to her cot where the new clothing lay, "-but I don't really want to wear it. It just...It makes me feel crazy."

He reminded her sweetly, "You aren't crazy, Kathryn."

Kathryn smiled. "You want to tell the doctors that?"

"I would, but they think that I'm crazy, too," Jefferson commented with a soft smile. "But I wanted to come and see you. I...I just can't stay away from you, it seems."

Kathryn smiled and took a step forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm glad. I've been thinking about you often."

"Oh? Like what?"

Her fingers gently stroked his cheek before running down the nape of his neck and finally resting on the scar that brought him pain, that actually turned his eyes dark in twisted agony of a past he would never reveal. "This, actually."

He quickly pulled away from her, walking backwards until he hit the wall. Furiously, Jefferson shook his head. "I told you we are not going to talk about _that_, Kathryn."

"But-"

"Damn it!" He fought the urge to throw the cot across the room. "I said I _do not_ want to talk about it! Why do you want to talk about something that so clearly bothers me?"

"Because talking sometimes helps Jefferson," she reminded him gently. "I just want to help you, the way you've helped me."

"I never asked for your help. I don't need your help, Kathryn. I just need you to be there."

"Jefferson-"

"Is this why your husband left you? Because you were constantly nagging?" The guilt instantly attacked him when tears crept into her eyes, threatening to spill over if she didn't suddenly blink them away and straighten her posture, as if that gave her the necessary strength to face him. Finally, he sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his thick hair. "Kathryn, I-I'm sorry."

"That was a low blow," she responded with a furious shake of her head. "T-That was not fair."

"I'm sorry."

Kathryn shook her head, hardened her heart, and told him, "I want you to leave."

"Kathryn-"

"I want you to leave, Jefferson," Kathryn repeated firmly as she quickly wiped away her tears. "I...I don't want you here anymore."

"Please don't kick me out," he begged, taking a step toward her carefully. He placed his hands on her shoulders, then cupped her cheeks gently, wiping away the tears with the pads of his thumbs. "Please," he whispered softly against her ear, "please do not kick me out, Kathryn. _Please_."

Kathryn sighed heavily, resting her chin against his shoulder. "Please don't ever say anything like that again, Jefferson. Please don't hurt me like that."

"I won't," he promised, wrapping his arms around her to hold her in a warm, tight embrace. Gently, he kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry it ever came out of my mouth. Forgive me?"

"For now."

Jefferson grinned proudly, pulling away so he could kiss her lips softly. He whispered against her lips after another kiss, "I missed you so much, Kathryn. Even more than I miss Wonderland."

"Oh."

He laughed. "Oh? You sound so apprehensive."

"I'm not, I just..." She chuckled softly and kissed him tenderly. "No one's ever said anything like that to me before. No one's ever even indicated that I'm - that what we have together - is better than the best thing they've ever experienced. It's...It's nice to hear."

"I'm glad I could be the one to say it then," he remarked with a soft smile. "Hey, why don't we get you out of these clothes?"

"I like the sound of that."

"No..." Jefferson shook his head gently, smiling. "No, no. I mean...Why don't you put the hospital gown on?"

"I told you, it makes me feel crazy. I don't want to feel like I'm crazy when I know that I'm perfectly sane." Kathryn paused and shrugged. "I thought you of all people would understand that with your affinity for hats."

He would have grinned maniacally if he wore his hat; instead, he only shrugged. "I'm saying it for your sake, Kathryn. The hospital gown, it may feel like a straight jacket sometimes, but it actually is comfortable and gives you a lot of movement."

"That's a contradiction, Jefferson. How can something offer a lot of movement but feel like a straight jacket?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?"

"Why do you want me to strip so bad?"

Jefferson smiled and shrugged. "Can't resist the sight of you without your clothes on, Kathryn. It's been a while since we've...Since, well, since I've seen you in that way. Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to get a little show."

She chuckled softly. "You want a show, Jefferson?"

"It'll be better than the shows that go on in my head," he commented quietly. "Than the dreams of Wonderland. You're much better than Wonderland, Kathryn."

She smiled sweetly at the warmth that spread over his green eyes, at happiness that she had never seen in David's eyes before that made her heart swell with joy. Her voice was a mere whisper as she answered, "And you're much better than my ex-husband."

"I suppose it's a wonderful thing we've both found each other then," Jefferson commented. He gently played with the buttons of her blouse. "Now let's get you out of these clothes."

Kathryn shoved his hands away, smirked, and took a step back as she began to slowly undo the buttons of her blouse, knowing the languid pace of her fingers would tantalize him by the way he watched her with a proud smirk. "I told you that I would give you a show, Jefferson. Why don't you sit?"

He did, his hands on his knees as he asked, "Did you ever do this for your husband?"

"No."

Jefferson smiled.

* * *

><p>"You know-" Kathryn sighed heavily, displeased with the chain events as she rested her head on his strong shoulder, "-this was <em>not <em>how I imagined our interaction going Jefferson. I have to say, I'm very disappointed."

Jefferson smiled weakly. "I was thinking you might want to talk sometimes instead of having sex."

"There's no reason why we can't do both," she pouted, picking at the fabric of the hospital gown that he had forced her to change into following her strip. Now they both lay on her cot, he in all of his fancy clothing and she in this hideous, free hospital gown that was actually starting to feel comfortable - not that she would admit that to him and give him the satisfaction of being right.

Jefferson grinned again and shook his head slightly. "How about we just talk for now?"

"What do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know. What do you want to talk about it?"

"You don't want to talk about what I want to talk about," Kathryn mumbled, glancing up at the scar on his neck that seemed to laugh at her. Her nose scrunched in disdain so strong that Kathryn rested her head against his shoulder with a heavy sigh. "So I guess we have nothing to talk about it then."

"You won't let up about this scar, will you?"

"I'm just curious!" she reasoned.

"And you get curiouser and curiouser by the second," Jefferson grumbled unhappily with a shake of his head. "Curiosity killed the cat, you know that?"

Kathryn agreed with a soft hum, kissing his neck gently as she added, "But it didn't kill Alice."

"But it can kill," Jefferson reminded her sternly, his fingers gently pulling aside a strand of her gold hair. His fingers moved to her neck, crossing it with a feather light touch that made her tense up. "And you wouldn't want to lose your head, would you?"

The shiver down her spine was not one of pleasure, but fear. "D-Did you lose your head, Jefferson?"

"Would you believe me if I told you the truth?"

"I'd like to hear a story," Kathryn admitted. "I'd like you to take me back to Wonderland."

"I don't have my hat."

Kathryn glanced up at him when he shrugged down at her. She shook her head slightly and answered, "I don't care about the hat or what psychosis drugs it has in it. That world isn't real - that world has no way of becoming real. But your story...The story of Wonderland...That could be real if we allowed it."

"I hate Wonderland."

"Why?"

He glanced away from her, staring across the dark. damp cell toward one of the empty, unwelcoming walls. Jefferson's eyes immediately darkened and he couldn't bring himself to look back at her. With a heavy sigh, knowing her inquisitive gaze was still on him, Jefferson answered, "I don't want to talk about it, Kathryn. Can't we just leave it at that?"

"But-"

"I don't ask you about your husband's affair with another woman, do I?" Jefferson snapped.

Kathryn shrugged. "You could."

He sighed heavily and shook his head. "I just...I don't want to talk about Wonderland and what happened there okay? It's too painful for me to even remember in my thoughts, let alone discuss out loud with another human being."

"If you hate Wonderland so much," Kathryn reasoned, "why do you wear your hat?"

"Because it was the only thing I knew existed," Jefferson answered honestly. "I didn't know anything else besides the world that I created in my head, and even though it was bad, even though the memories bring me pain, it's normal for me. I didn't know anything else to consume my time, to make me feel sane."

"So...why don't you wear your hat anymore?"

Jefferson shrugged gently before answering honestly in a slight whisper, "Because I don't need it. I don't feel like I need to be insane anymore. You're all I need, Kathryn. That hat...It makes me do crazy, horrible things. With you in my life, I don't want to do crazy, horrible things. I just want to be with you."

"That's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me," she answered finally, her voice filled with awe as she stared up at painfully honest eyes. "Really, truly. That's...You have no idea how that makes me feel."

Jefferson smiled weakly. "I want to forget the pain, Kathryn. I want to feel sane with you and not be so insane that I travel to a drugged hat to feel _something_, even if it drives me to horrible things."

Kathryn didn't care that he had completely disregarded the option of sex; without a thought, she reached up and tenderly kissed him, his lips soft and hesitant against hers. Her kiss was more passionate, more honest, than she had intended but she couldn't take it back as she pulled away to look into the green eyes that made her feel alive. "You make me feel sane, too, Jefferson. You make me feel safer than I've ever felt, and I never...I never thought that was possible in this world."

Jefferson smiled weakly. "I'm glad we could save each other."

"Will you ever tell me what happened to you, Jefferson?"

"One day," he promised honestly. "One day you'll know my entire story."

"Until then?"

"We continue saving each other," Jefferson answered, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. He smiled when she kissed him again, but this time he didn't allow her to leave him.

His hands cupped her cheeks, keeping her mouth tightly pressed against his as he deepened the kiss. Pride and arousal filled him when Kathryn responded passionately, matching his fervor and intensity so strongly that he had thought they'd been separated for years instead of a week. Her touch and warm, happy kisses brought him a high that hat never could, and he wanted more.

He wanted her. Jefferson couldn't wait for the moment when he'd finally feel her skin against his, her nails dig into his back at the pleasure he allowed her, or the way he'd hold her hips down so roughly that she'd bruise. He longed for the moment to feel her against him, responded so perfectly and powerfully that he'd have no way to resist her.

But Jefferson did not want her here, not on this old cot that was finally starting to feel comfortable. He didn't even want to take her against the wall, too cold and grimy for his liking. Jefferson realized as her nails raked down his chest and finally rested on his belt that he didn't even want to fuck her.

He wanted to make love. He wanted to see her, raw, honest, and open to him completely; Jefferson knew this cot and this cell wouldn't afford him that luxury. He could think of just the place and stopped Kathryn before she could unbuckle his belt. When she glanced up at him, confused, he shook his head slightly. "Not here."

Kathryn frowned slightly. "I'm sorry?"

"Not here," Jefferson repeated, his voice hoarse despite his seriousness. "We can't have sex here."

"So where are we going to go? Your cell?"

"No."

"Then where, Jefferson?"

Jefferson exhaled softly before he reached up to tenderly brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Despite her sometimes disheveled appearance during her stay, she was one of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, truly a goddess fit for a kingdom of gold. She deserved more than this filthy, dirty place. "Do you trust me, Kathryn?"

"With my life."

He smiled and secured her hand in his. "Then let's go."

* * *

><p>When Kathryn tilted her head back to allow Jefferson greater access to her neck, she let out a stunned gasp. The feel of his lips against her skin mingled with the water that sprayed down her body was almost too much to bear. She instinctively dug her fingers in his hair, moaning gently when his wet, open kisses turned into playful nips, bringing a pain that felt oddly like pleasure.<p>

The sensation of his mouth didn't last long for he pulled away and glanced down at her, at her glistening skin that made his heart race. The water's cleansing powers quickly washed away any of the pain or grime that the cell had forced to harden over her soul.

Jefferson grinned madly when she leaned her head back and exhaled softly at the pleasure of hot water cascading down her back and chest. He bent in to kiss the spot below her ear and asked softly, "How long has it been since you've had a nice, warm shower?"

"Too long," Kathryn answered in a moan, clinging tighter to him. "Too, too long, Jefferson."

He hummed softly, beginning to kiss her neck again. "Do you like it?"

"_Oh yes_," she hissed. "Oh God yes."

Jefferson pulled her closer to him, her body slick against his as their naked flesh finally met. He hadn't realized how much he would miss the feel of her breasts against his chest or crave the way she clutched his back so powerfully like each movement brought her intense pleasure. He kissed and licked away the droplets that traced along her collarbone.

When his mouth rested on her breast, Kathryn let out a soft moan that startled even her. "Oh, I've missed you, Jefferson."

He sucked hard on her nipple, releasing it in a whisper, "You just miss the idea of me."

"No," she answered truthfully, determined. "I missed _you_."

"Prove it."

Her fingers burrowed his hair once more when he began to tease her again, his mouth working magic on her body more wonderful than the hat which had once before rendered him insane. "And...H-how do I do t-that?"

Jefferson pulled away from her and looked into her deep blue eyes, his green eyes open. When she met his gaze, slightly perplexed and still in a haze of pleasure, Jefferson told her, "Forget about your ex husband and just feel this."

"I have been feeling this," Kathryn argued. "We've had sex-"

"We've fucked," Jefferson cut off quickly. "I'm not asking for a fuck, okay? I'm asking for you to let me make love to you."

Kathryn smiled sweetly, kissing him gently. She was not surprised when he returned the soft embrace. "I thought that's what I was already doing. You know, I haven't done this...in a shower at least...in a _very_ long time. But I trust you, Jefferson. I trust you with my life."

"And your heart?"

"It's already yours," she admitted, not entirely sure if the wetness brimming in her eyes was tears or water from the shower head that warmed her body. "It's always been yours, Jefferson. From the minute you walked into my cell with my crazy hat and that tattered suit. My heart is already yours."

Jefferson smiled and kissed her, gentle yet eager as he brought his hands to bury in her hair, in the wet strands that still enticed him. Their mouths met in a frenzied passion, the water cascading between them only burning the flames hotter until he pressed her up against the cool tile of the wall.

Her gasp of surprise sent a shiver down Jefferson's spine as he trailed kisses from her mouth to the base of her neck, finally kissing along her collarbone so gently that he wasn't even positive his lips grazed her skin. But she loved the sensation for within seconds Kathryn wrapped her legs around his waist.

Jefferson groaned when she pushed suggestively against him. "Don't play with fire," Jefferson warned in a growl, his hands clutching her hips powerfully as her arms wove around his neck.

Kathryn smiled and chuckled. "I like fire. When it burns, it burns hot. Hot and wild and passionate. Don't you like wild passion, Jefferson?"

Jefferson groaned again, burying his face against her neck as he resisted the urge to push inside her. "You are a wicked woman. I thought you were as innocent as Alice but now I see you're as teasing as the Cheshire Cat, as cunning as the Walrus, and as crazy as the Queen of Hearts."

"Does that bother you?"

"I've never met a woman quite like you," he answered in a whisper when she kissed away the droplets of water from the side of his neck. Jefferson used all of his strength to pull away from her to whisper, his lips only inches from hers. "You really are an amazing woman, Kathryn."

Kathryn kissed him softly and requested, "Take me to Wonderland, Jefferson."

Jefferson complied to her request, pushing inside her with a deep groan; her gasp of pleasure spread all the way to his toes so powerfully that he forced himself to still to give her time to adjust, to give himself time so he wasn't completely overwhelmed by feel of her against him.

When Kathryn bucked gently against him, Jefferson took that as invitation to move. He pulled out before entering her again, grasping her hips tightly but not hard enough to bruise like he had before. His thrusts settled into a steady, unhurried pace as he savored every second of the sensations that rushed through him.

The tenderness of his grasp and thrusts surprised Kathryn, bringing tears to her eyes each time he plunged inside her with a soft moan. Her hands buried in his hair once more, needing to hold onto something even though her faith in his strength was concrete. He wouldn't let her fall, not even as the pace of his thrusts increased and suddenly turned harsh.

She moved against him as best she could, and let out a strangled moan when he snaked a hand around to gently apply pressure to her clit. Kathryn sighed, exhilarated, when he only groaned in response. She hoped that the sound of the water was enough to drown out their sighs and moans from the few guards and nurses, a futile dream she knew.

Chanting his name, she dug of her nails against his skin and attempted to conceal her occasional moan.

Jefferson brought Kathryn to her peak moments later, forcing her to bit her lip hard as she fought back a scream of ecstasy so intense that for a few moments she couldn't breathe or register anything but the high he had just brought her to.

His hands relaxed against her as the buck of her hips and silent scream forced him over the edge, and he came with a groan so intense that his entire body shook. Jefferson was thankful for her strong, muscular legs because he was too weak to keep her up against the wall as his climax ripped through him, causing such a magnificent shock of pleasure that he thought he had reached a plane better than Wonderland, better than any height they had together before reached.

Kathryn sighed happily when he let her slide down the wall so she could stand on legs that felt like jelly. A soft chuckle escaped her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, not surprised when he buried his face in her neck. Tenderly, her fingers stroked the back of his neck, content, his heavy pants music to her ears.

"Kathryn..." He barely could say her name, too overcome with emotion. "Oh, that was..."

"Amazing," she finished for him with a bright smile. "Absolutely stunning and divine."

Jefferson agreed with a heavy, happy sigh, wrapping his arms around her snugly. With a soft moan, he whispered, "Oh, Kathryn you are so much better than some stupid hat."

Kathryn smiled. "And you're much better than my ex-husband."

Jefferson's movements were agile and surprisingly strong as he pulled her from the cool tile, back into the spray of the water. His mouth met hers, tender and blissful in a slow, steady passion that he had missed.

Jefferson continued to surprise Kathryn as he suddenly pulled her into a warm tender hug, wrapping his arms around her, giving her the only option of returning his embrace. Her arms snaked around his neck until they securely held his body against hers. Kathryn could have sworn his body shook in a sob that startled her.

"Jefferson?" She asked weakly. "Are you-?"

He closed his eyes and clutched her tighter against him.

"I love you, Kathryn."

She knew that for the first moment since his return from Wonderland that Jefferson felt no pain, that she had helped him forget the world that made him so miserable...That just for a moment she had saved him in the same way he had saved her. "Oh, Jefferson..."

"I love you," he whispered again, over and over until trailed off and the only sound she heard was the water against their bodies and the shower tile. "_I love you_."


End file.
